73 Comments
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Al Oliver's avatar

So, am I seeing this correctly? None of the outlets had Esmerlyn Valdez on their rankings?

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1979andCounting's avatar

Helluva throw by Cruz on the Sac Fly winning run. Only 15 feet up the first base line. Smh.

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<Joe solo's avatar

They just can't hit!

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Melkel's avatar

Valdez has 2 hits already, hit a double that Griffin scored on from first. Griffin with a walk and a hit by pitch so far. I think that's 16 games that Griffin has reached base at least twice.

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WTM's avatar
4dEdited

KG was hit right after a PJ Hilson dinger.

Next time up he drew a bases loaded walk. I think that league has seen enough of him.

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WTM's avatar

Next guy up, Will Taylor, singled to left-center. The LF got to it pretty quickly. Most of the time, it would have scored two and left runners at first and second, but KG went for third and made it. Very aggressive baserunner.

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WTM's avatar

And then Esmerlyn with a 3-run bomb, #18.

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Melkel's avatar
4dEdited

#19 4 for 4 so far, 2 hr 1 double and a shameful infield single.

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WTM's avatar

OPS 1.029, halfway into the season. Hard to see the point of him being there any more.

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Cobra 39's avatar

What a tremendous season. Can’t wait to see how he handles Altoona. Has to be soon.

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JRC21's avatar

Groundhog Day. Every game is the same. It’s a unique form of torture that I have never experienced in 60 years of being a baseball fan.

I would say they have to fire Cherington, but what’s the point?

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Chris Chapman's avatar

Get a better GM to end this “Groundhog Day”? I know there are other issues with baseball and Nutting but Neal H showed that a winning team could be put together here.

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Frank Maraschino's avatar

If BC had inherited prime Cutch maybe we’re having a little different conversation rn

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Hoptown's avatar

The point is doing the right thing. The point is not letting him run the upcoming draft. The point is not letting him manage the trade deadline. The point is start the search for a new management team now.

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JRC21's avatar

Understood. I meant what is the point of posting here that Cherington should be fired? Every major sports columnist in Pittsburgh is calling practically daily for Cherington to be fired.

Nutting is simply not going to fire him now, and I’m not even convinced he’s going to fire him after the season. Nutting is as pathetic as the team he owns.

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Hoptown's avatar

Gotcha. I actually think Nutting is to going fire him. And maybe Travis Williams too. I believe he was really pissed about the brick thing and that was basically the final nail. I think he’s afraid to do it now and punt the season. When in fact it would actually energize the fan base. My guesses anyway.

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Scott Kliesen's avatar

The fish rots from the head.

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Chris Chapman's avatar

Because we are discussing the Pirates and that is the most obvious thing to do? Of course no one on here can make that happen but it is a good thing to understand the root problem (one of them at least).

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Frank Maraschino's avatar

The root problem is chiseling know-nothing muppet of an owner Bob Nutting. Cherington didn’t hire himself, and the next ivy league stuffed shirt Korn Ferry tells him to hire (because he doesn’t know enough to make his own hires) will likely be about the same. Barring some miracle.

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Joel Lesher's avatar

Poor Mitch!! Man, hard to believe it’s taken Ben 6 years to assemble a team that’s this excruciatingly dull. But tomorrow is another day, and perhaps an extra base hit is in the offing!!!

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WTM's avatar

Pirates' R/G --

2019 (NH's last year): 4.68 (20th)

2025 (BC's sixth year): 3.19 (30th)

Progress!!

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Cobra 39's avatar

Team average of .225 and OPS of .634. Those stats for an individual would have you wondering how the hell is this guy getting playing time? We’re a lineup of Rafael Belliards.

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theobserver's avatar

Minimally, such a player would have to be a very versatile defender to have a roster spot.

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bucsws2024's avatar

I'm getting flashbacks to Anthony Young, who, with the Mets in '92-'93 went 3-30 with a 3.69 FIP.

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Cobra 39's avatar

I remember when they finally broke his losing streak the Mets celebrating like they won the World Series knowing dude didn’t deserve it. I didn’t realize he passed away years ago.

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bucsws2024's avatar

To be fair, that wasn't one his better efforts. He was in the pen by then, gave the Marlins the lead in top 9th, then Mets rallied for a walk-off win, which would've had them jumping up and down anyway.

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Cobra 39's avatar

They owed him one. Just watched the video. One of my favorite non-Bucs ever, Eddie Murray, with the game winning hit, and saw Bobby Bo in the background.

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Bianco599's avatar

Bobby Bo's day is coming soon. If you read the article the dude did it twice. He should be our GM.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/40430232/bobby-bonilla-day-2024-new-york-mets-pay-119-million-every-july-1-ohtani-contract-deferred-money

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Cobra 39's avatar

I didn’t realize it has 10 more years left. Holy cow.

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Bianco599's avatar

Me either. I just knew he was a slick negotiator when it came to scamming people that were scamming other people out of billions of dollars. Special place in my heart.

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Chris Chapman's avatar

This team….sigh.

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Cobra 39's avatar

We’ve seen this exact episode so many times that I don’t know why today frustrated me more than usual.

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Mick's avatar

It is getting to the point that it is hard to watch. Just about ready to turn them off for the year.

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Scott Kliesen's avatar

This is the least amount of Pirates baseball I’ve watched in many years.

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PirateRican21's avatar

I’m ready to hang up my remote control for a while, I love this game but this team is trying to beat that love out of me.

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Cobra 39's avatar

Four singles away from tying this thing.

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CTBucco's avatar

A little too much of a good thing (Mlod)?

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Aurorus Borealus's avatar

They keep insisting that he is this long reliever/starter type, when the evidence is overwhelming that he is best as a short-reliever. They just pound their head against stupid ad infinitum.

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Cobra 39's avatar

I may have praised him too soon thinking his day was done. Hope Dennis can help him out here.

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Dave's avatar

Mlod throwing 96. Did he add a couple mph on his fastball?

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Cobra 39's avatar

He looked great today. Throwing hard and his breaking pitches got some bad swings.

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Aurorus Borealus's avatar

Coming out of the bullpen where he only needs to work an inning or 2. Stuff is better in addition to being to stay with one plan of attack rather than trying to navigate the order multiple times.

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WTM's avatar

Two runs, both on outs. It’s The Cherington Way.

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bucsws2024's avatar

Last time Mitch started, someone here noted that Mitch seems to have a habit of giving runs right back after the Bucs score. I didn't think much of it then, but maybe it's a thing.

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Chris Chapman's avatar

Thought the same thing when it happened.

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Aurorus Borealus's avatar

That comes from the NS9 broadcast. Those guys have to talk for 30 minutes after every pathetic offensive performance from the Pirates, so it is little wonder that, after a while, they have to invent new things to talk about. It is not their fault that they often say things that have no bearing on reality or the situation at hand.

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WTM's avatar

If they lose this, Keller ranks exactly nowhere on the list of people to blame.

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1979andCounting's avatar

Keller had Semien 0-2 in the 6th and needed the K there with one out. He threw next two pitches center cut, one fouled off and the next the Sac Fly that scored the 3rd run, which turned out to be the winning run. Why not throw his slider or cutter and try to get the chase? It was poor execution, and Hank didn't help him out either.

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bucsws2024's avatar

Both guys he walked scored.

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WTM's avatar

One on an error. At least make a little effort to be objective.

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Dave's avatar

So the pitcher with a 7.50 era looks like SKENES after 3 innings against our Pirates. Wow

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Mick's avatar

Horowitz was such a good trade for Ben. Nobody looks at two strikes and then swings at a ball like him except maybe Reynolds. And Cruz. And probably most of the rest of the pirates. But nobody else. Except maybe the last 3 batters in my pony league line up.

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WTM's avatar

Horrorwrist now 4-24 wRISP. He was born to be a Cherington.

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Chris Chapman's avatar

I’m hoping he turns the corner at some point. He was 123 OPS+ last year. I wonder how much the wrist has impacted his performance?

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WTM's avatar

To be charitable, we probably should assume quite a bit. I thought it was a pipe dream to suppose getting him in there would turn the offense around.

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JRC21's avatar

As I wrote a few weeks ago, next spring Horwitz will admit that his wrist wasn’t ready. It will be one of the first 2026 spring training stories.

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bucsws2024's avatar

Cutch is en fuego.

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